Can Of Worms
by strawberrysunsets
Summary: A series of one-shots set either before, during or after the book and ranging from angsty to hilarious. I TAKE SUGGESTIONS! Just give me a plot idea or a character to write about and I'll write a one-shot especially for you :D Probable spoilers if you haven't read the whole book. No main OC's.
1. Never Let You Go

**Never Let You Go**

**If there was one that Dallas couldn't handle, it was the fact that Johnny was dead. Dallas couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to be with him forever. And Dallas Winston always gets what he wants. **

* * *

An emotional wreck. That was what I was when he died.

I can still hear Johnny's voice, echoing in my mind.

"It's useless, fightin' ain't no good."

We did it for you, Johnny. I joined the rumble so you'd be proud of me. Why ain't ya proud of me, like I'm proud of you?

"Stay gold, Ponyboy. Stay gold."

That shattered me up real good. After everything I did for him, he just flipped me off and said some secret message to Ponyboy, the bastard! I had no idea what 'stay gold' meant, but it probably meant something that only those two knew about.

"This is what you get for helping people, you little punk." I spat at no one in particular. "C'mon, don't die on me, now."

I'll tell ya, when I first met Johnny, the first impression I got of him what that he was like a pet. He was the only one who understood me. Without him, I got nothin' to live for. So I ran. I ran away.

I used to think that I don't run away, but I guess I'm changing because of everything that has happened. I won't change, though. Not for Johnny, not for anyone. I'll always be _the_ Dallas Winston.

* * *

"You're out of your mind!

"Why do you help people, huh?" I gritted my teeth at the doctor as he sprinted back inside the hospital. "It don't do any good!

Where to, now? I asked myself as I tucked my heater into my back pocket.

There was only one thing I could do that always made myself feel better. Something illegal. 'Cause Dallas Winstons doesn't do 'legal'. He never will

I picked up a comic book from a store, grinning madly.

"You want to buy one of those?" A clerk asked. I ignored him. He didn't deserve my word.

I teared the magazine. That's what you get for being rich and happy, you stupid clerk!

"You tear them, you gotta pay for 'em," He told me strictly. "Don't do that!

Slowly and menacingly, I walked towards the clerk.

"You gotta pay for that magazine," The look of the clerk's face when I pulled out my heater = priceless. "Oh, God. Don't shoot!"

"Give me the money!" I ordered impatiently, looking behind me, through the glass door to see if there were any pedestrians nearby. "Give me the damn money!"

"I'm sick of you punks!" The clerk looked like he was about to cry. A satisfactory smile crept on my face as the clerk continued. "Take it and get out!"

I remembered bashing on the hospital wall, and cursing at the doctor. The selfish bastard didn't help Johnny at all. If _someone_ had done _something,_ then maybe he would still be alive.

If I could just go back in time and stop Johnny from going into that Church or stabbing that damn soc, or if I could go back and kill myself before I gave those idiots, Ponyboy and Johnny, the idea to run to Windrixville.

Maybe I should just kill myself now, to take the pain away.

I half-heartedly thought of what Ponyboy was doing right now, but the other half of me, the insane half of me, didn't care the least.

It was all about me now. I had a goal to fulfil, and no one was going to stop me.

_Then again..._ I thought. _Maybe I should warn Darry? You know, let him know what I got myself into._

I turned up at a phone booth. I didn't even mean to get there, my feet just lead me there. Maybe it was a sign? Naw, Dallas Winston doesn't believe in signs.

I put a coin in and dialled the number. After what seemed like ages, someone finally picked up.

"Hello, Darrel?" I asked.

"No, it's Steve."

I cursed under my breath. "Steve, I want to speak to Darry," I said firmly.

"I robbed a store," I told Darry when he answered the phone. "Cops are lookin' for me. Can you meet me in the park?"

"Sure, are you alright?" He asked.

I shook my head, even though I knew he couldn't see it. "Johnny's dead."

"We know."

There was a horrible silence. I felt like bursting into tears, but Dallas Winston doesn't cry. "Meet me in the park, will you?"

I didn't hear what he said next, because I hung up the phone quickly. I heard a voice in my head saying, "Don't do it, Dally, please don't do it." It repeated in my head a few times before I yelled, "Shut the hell up, Johnny!"

I froze. Where did _that_ come from? Was I going crazy?

No, Dallas Winston may be a hood, but he ain't crazy. Not even close.

I sprinted toward the park. I could hear sirens and voices yelling my name, or just simply cursing, "you damn punk!"

Damn, I love the feeling of being the centre of attention.

The sirens and voices got closer and closer.

For once, I was having the time of my life.

I raised my heater, just as the cops raised theirs.

I wanted one thing. I wanted to die. And Dallas Winston always gets what he wants.

* * *

**Do you like it? Review please :) I take suggestions, so just give me an idea and I'll put it into a one-shot :) I give credit for ideas.**

**- L**


	2. New Leaf

**New Leaf**

**"When you have nothin', you end up like Dallas. And I don't mean dead, I mean what he was before."**

**Ponyboy never seemed to connect with Dallas. But now that he's gone, and Ponyboy is starting to mature, he's starting to understand why Dally acted like he did.**

**Ponyboy's changing. He's more like Dally. And Soda doesn't like it.**

* * *

"Where's my shirt?" I asked. "Darry, where's my shirt?"

"What one?" He questioned as he popped his head out of the kitchen.

"You know, the blue one. The checks." I told him.

He looked confused. "The one with the stain?"

"Yeah, the one with the stain."

"You seen it, Ponyboy?" Darry asked Ponyboy, who was on the couch watching tv.

It was a few seconds before he bothered to answer. He didn't even look at Darry, his eyes were fixed to the screen. "Nope."

Darry and I exchanged glances. We were both thinking the same thing. "Hey, Pony," I said softly. "Shouldn't you be doing homework or somethin'?"

If I knew Ponyboy (and I did) he would either say, "Yeah, I did it this morning", or "I ain't got no homework today".

Instead, he just shrugged. "I dunno."

Something was definitely wrong with Pony.

"Are you feelin' okay, bub?" I asked.

He nodded, still not removing the TV from his vision.

I glanced at the television. He was watching Mickey Mouse. That wasn't unusual. He watched it with Two-Bit every so often.

Suddenly, he jumped off couch and made his way to the door.

"Where are you goin'?" Darry asked.

"Buck's." Ponyboy opened the front door, but was stopped when I put my hand in front of his chest.

"Buck's?" I asked, completely and utterly shocked. "Why?"

He shrugged. "I just remember that there's a party there tonight."

"No, I mean... Why _Buck's_? When have you ever gone to Buck's?"

If looks could kill, I swear. The glare that Pony gave me sent chills down my spine. He never glares at anyone, especially not at me!

"Mind your own business, Soda." He yanked my arm off of his shoulder and went outside.

'Ow.' - This was first thought that came into my mind - 'Has Ponyboy been working out?'

* * *

After massaging my sore arm, I finally managed to get some cooking done. It wasn't anything big, I just made a lemon cheesecake. And, being the creative person that I am, I dyed it purple. Yay!

"Aye, Soda, what do you got there?" Steve asked, walking through the front door and into the kitchen.

"Purple cheesecake." I shrugged, cutting a slice and handing it to him.

"Okay." He said awkwardly as he chuckled. He hesitantly looked around for a fork. I already had one, so I just gave it to him. I was waiting for his reaction to see whether the cake was good or not when Ponyboy slammed through the door, making both Steve and I jump ten feet in the air. Luckily, he didn't drop my cake. Otherwise, he would be dead.

"Hey, Ponyboy, you're ho-" Darry started, but as soon as he saw Pony's face, he stopped.

"Oh, this is bad..." Steve said to no one in particular.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I whispered to him. Since Darry was in the way of Pony, I couldn't see his face.

"He got a black eye."

"WHAT?" My eyes went so wide, I was afraid that they would pop out of my head. I walked out into the living room and nearly puked at the site. My kid brother just got bashed in the face!

"Ponyboy, what happened?" I asked as I put my hand up to his face to see if there was any swelling.

He swatted my head away. That hurt. Not physically like the last time, but emotionally. What have I done to make my baby brother hate me? "I got in a fight, okay."

"Ponyboy," Darry started, "I think it's time we had the talk."

"The talk?" I questioned. "Didn't you have 'the talk' with him last month?"

"Not _that_ talk, Soda!" Darry told me. "I meant the talk about not letting your past affect you!"

"Oh, yeah." I remembered that. He told me that he was going to talk to Pony about how he has to move on from what happened a few months ago, when we lost Dally and Johnny.

"You're changing, Pony," Darry said softly.

"So? Maybe that's a good thing!" Ponyboy snapped. I believed that he knew that he was changing. He just didn't know how to change _back_.

"Maybe not..." Steve muttered under his breath. Luckily, Pony didn't pick that one up. He was too busy arguing with Darry.

"Pony, we're just worried about you," Darry had told him.

"Well don't! I can take care of myself!"

"That's not what I meant-"

"Well what do you mean, Darry? I'm not good enough for you?"

"Oh, God..." Steve shook his head. "I think I know how married couples fight now."

If this situation wasn't so bad, I would've laughed at his joke, but I certainly wasn't in the mood for laughing.

"EVERYBODY SHUT THE HELL UP!" I yelled. I honestly didn't mean to yell, it just came out. All heads turned to look at me, making me blush. I wasn't expecting anyone to listen to me. Everyone was silent, so I guessed that I needed to continue. "Ponyboy, we're not trying to be mean. You're turning into Dallas. I don't want you to end up like Dallas. And I don't mean dead, I mean what he was before. But if you keep acting this way you might get into trouble. I miss the old Ponyboy."

He bit his lip, turning to Darry. "I'm not changing in a... bad way, am I?"

There was a huge pause. No one knew what to say.

"I just thought everyone was like this, I-I thought I was maturing, I even started shaving, and-and my voice, and..."

I turned to look at Darry, grinning. "You didn't have 'the talk', did you?"

Darry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I kinda forgot..."

"Oh, God. Go have 'the talk' now, then!" I ushered them into my bedroom, laughing.

"Good luck!" Steve called out after him, and then turned back to me. "Is Ponyboy always this desperate to grow up?"

I nodded. "He'll always be immature, though."

"If he's going to turn out like Dallas, it might be a good thing for him not to grow up."

"Nah." I grinned. "He won't turn into Dallas anytime soon. I'll make sure of it."

* * *

**Review please! I don't even have one yet :(**


	3. Life Is Like A Gift

**Life Is A Gift**

**It's Ponyboy's birthday! But... did everyone forget?**

* * *

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight, from the darkness of my room, I had only one thing on my mind: MY BIRTHDAY!

I was fourteen today. That meant that I was officially a teenager! They say that turning thirteen is that start of your teen years, but no one treated me different than when I turned twelve, eleven or ten. Everyone treated me like a kid. Well, I wasn't a kid anymore!

I walked into the loungeroom with a huge grin on my face. That soon faded when I saw Two-Bit slumped on the couch with a beer in his hand, watching Mickey Mouse.

"Aye, kid," Two-Bit grumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Whata' you so happy about?"

I felt my cheeks burn with rage. He forgot! Well, that wasn't unexpected I guess. Two-Bit couldn't even remember his own mother's maiden name, let alone my birthday. The thing that really bugged me was that he called me kid! I ain't no kid!

Ignoring him, I walked into the kitchen, expected Soda and Darry to tackle me to the ground and ruffle my hair, saying something like, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PONYBOY!" Or something similar at least.

Well, I was wrong again. Darry was sitting at the table reading the newspaper and drinking coffee or tea or whatever old people drink. He looked at me, looked at Soda, and then looked back down at his paper.

"Soda?" I asked, trying to hide my annoyance, "what are you making?"

He was mixing something in a bowl. It looked... sloppy. "Uhm, well, it's kinda... I dunno what you call it. Some sort of pancake mix or somethin'."

"Pikelets?" Darry raised an eyebrow.

"Somethin' like that."

There was a long silence as I waited for them to remember. They didn't. "So..."

"So..." Soda repeated, waiting for me to say something.

"Do you guys know what day it is?" I asked, hopefully.

Soda thought for a moment, looking at Darry. "It's Sunday, right?"

"It's Saturday, Soda," Darry corrected. Wow. Thank you, Darry, I never knew. That was sarcasm, by the way.

"Yes, yes it is." I rolled my eyes. "Do you know what that means?"

"No work today!" Soda did a victory fist pump just as Steve walked through the front door.

"AYYOOO!" He grinned, ruffling Soda's hair. Asshole...

"Hey, Steve!" Soda grinned. "Are you going out with Evie tonight?"

Steve shrugged. "I dunno, maybe. Maybe we could see a movie or somethin'."

"Well, Sandy and I are going to see a movie tonight if you want to come."

Hello? I'm right here!

"I'll think about it. AYE TWO-BIT!" Steve hollered out to gutless drunk in the living room. I swear, Steve is probably the most aggravating person I've ever met. He's just so... loud.

Then, as if one cue, Dally and Johnny entered our run-down house.

"I dunno, I'll think about it." Steve shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. Honestly, how can he drink this early in the morning?

"Yo, Pony." Johnny grinned. I instantly became happy that at least ONE person remembered my birthday, but that happiness instantly faded when he said, "did you see the sunset last night? It was all gold."

"Uhm, yeah," I lied. "It was pretty."

"OW!" A noise came from the living room. We all rushed in - well, Steve, Johnny and I - to see what the nosie was. It was Two-Bit, of course.

"What happened?" Johnny asked, quietly.

"I poked myself in the eye!" Two-Bit cried out.

"Oh, Lord." Dally shook his head.

"Hey, shut it! Don't act like you've never done that before!" He defended.

"I haven't." Dally glared. Two-Bit put his hands up in the air in mock-defeat.

"Still. It hurt."

"Of course it did."

"IT'S DONE!" Soda cheered from the kitchen.

"What is?" I asked.

"The cake! The cake is finished!"

"Cake?" I wondered. "I thought you were making pancakes?"

"Chocolate pancakes?" Soda grinned. "You really thought I was making... wait, maybe I should make chocolate pancakes tomorrow."

"No, thanks." Two-Bit grinned. "One undercooked meal is enough."

"I swear, I love food more than I love people!" Steve said.

"Wait, wait, wait. Hold up." I walked over to Soda. "You lied? Why?"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PONY!" Soda grinned, pulling me in for a hug. Soon after, everyone (except Dally of course, who was standing in the corner) came in for a group hug.

"You guys..." I felt my cheeks burning up. "You lied?"

"We didn't lie!" Two-Bit grinned. "We pranked."

"You cheated!" I put my hands on my hips, annoyed. Darry and Soda lept at me and tickled me. I laughed, trying to brush them off. "S-s-stop it, you g-guys!"

"Pranked."

"Cheated."

"Pranked."

"Chea-"

"EVERYONE SHUT UP, WE'RE OPENING PRESENTS!" Steve told us.

"Presents?!" I gasped. This day just got so much better.

"'Specially for you!" Soda dragged me out onto the front porch, where there were about ten presents all lined up in a row.

"WOAH!" I gasped again.

"We all pitched in and got you a few things." Dally shrugged.

"A few? There's like... heaps!" I told him.

"Open mine!" Soda clapped, pointing to one that with blue wrapping paper and white polka dots. "It's the big one over there!"

I went to reach for it, but Soda quickly slapped my hand away. "Wait, wait; before you open it!"

"What is it, Soda?" Darry asked.

"I have a quote for you!"

"Aw, jeez..." Steve shook his head.

"Okay, here it is..." Soda cleared his throat. "Life is like a gift..."

"You never know what you're gonna get?" Two-Bit suggested.

"Shush, you ruined it!" Soda glared. "Life is like a gift. Yes, you never know what you're gonna get, but also... Life is a gift."

"That's it?" Steve raised an eyebrow.

"It's cool, right?" Soda grinned.

"Yes, Soda, it's cool." Dally rolled his eyes. "Now open the damn presents, Pony, we ain't got all day!"

"Wait a minute..." I pondered for a moment. "These were on the porch all morning?"

Everyone nodded, not exactly sure what I was talking about.

"You left them out here! Anyone could have taken them!"

"But no one took them," Two-Bit pointed out.

"But they could've been taken!"

"But they weren't!"

"They could've!"

"Not!"

"Yes!"

"Not!"

"Yes!"

Steve shook his head. "Maybe we should've just not gotten him anything."

* * *

_**Thank you **_**Director 99, Just obsessed**_**, and guest reviewers **_**Catie, Westerngirl101 ****_and_**** Cat 414**_**. You're reviews made me smile :D I got FIVE for one chapter :D YAY!**_

_**This story is dedicated to **_**Catie**_** and **_**Westerngirl101,**_** thank you for the ideas :D**_

**Did you guys like it? Please review :D**

**- L**


	4. Quality Time

**Quality Time**

**The gang finally gets to spend some quality time together... in a basement!**

* * *

"You gonna stay for dinner, Johnny?" Darry asked.

Johnny shook his head. "Nah, I'll be okay."

"But it's like minus 10 degrees out there!" Two-Bit argued.

"I'll be fine." Johnny grinned. "I always am."

"Crazy son of a..." Dally begun, but Darry wacked him softly on the arm to prevent him from 'spoiling Ponyboy's mind'.

"You might not be so lucky this time," Steve warned.

"I'm used to it, guys."

"Are you sure?" Sodapop asked. "We don't mind if you stay. Actually, it would be kinda fun!"

"Guys, guys!" Two-Bit jumped up and down on the couch.

"What is it, Two-Bit?" Ponyboy asked.

"Look!" He pointed to the television. "Look!"

A young brunette woman, maybe in her late twenties or early thirties, was on TV. She looked jumpy and anxious. "Breaking News. Small town Tulsa is currently under threat of an F3 tornado to hit within the next one to two hours. We're calling for all civillians to evacuate immediately. If you choose to stay in your homes, be sure to stay in your basement and away from possible flying objects."

There was a long silence. No one knew what to say.

"So..." Steve began. "Should we leave?"

"Nah." Dally shrugged, lifting his feet up and placing them on the coffee table. "I'm right, over here."

"What? Are you _crazy_?" Soda gasped.

"Yeah," said Two-Bit. "You freak when Johnny sleeps at the lot but you don't care when a tornado is coming our way!"

Dally shrugged, taking a sip of his beer. "I have my reasons."

"I'm going to ignore that suspicious comment for now," Darry crossed his arms. "But I think we should go in the basement for a few hours, just until things settle down."

"We have a _basement_?" Ponyboy asked as he and the others followed Darry to a hatch out in his room. "When did _this_ happen?"

"Just shut up and get in." Dally pushed the smaller kid into the dark basement.

Immidately, the gang heard a thump and then a few wheezing coughs. "Jee, it sure is dark in here. And small. And dusty. And..."

Dally pushed Johnny in next. He cut Ponyboy off from his ranting as soon as he fell on top of him.

"OW!"

"Sorry, Ponyboy."

"My turn!" Two-Bit jumped in, then Steve, Dally and Soda.

"You comin', Dar?" Soda asked.

"Yea, just... just le' me get some matches." Darry opened a drawer in his room and pulled out a packet of matches and two torches. He went into the basement hatch and gave the torches to Ponyboy and Two-Bit, figuring that they would need it the most. Johnny would share with Ponyboy anyway.

As soon as they turned the torches on, and Darry lit a match, the basement lit up.

"Woah!" Ponyboy gasped. "It's so much bigger than I thought!"

"You know you really oughta get some stairs down here," Steve warned. "So we can, you know, _get out_!"

"There's a ladder right there!" Darry pointed to the hatch where they jumped in, and it suddenly had a ladder dropping down from the side.

"Huh," Steve sighed. "Wait a minute! Why didn't you tell us?"

"You didn't ask."

Steve growled. "You're just lucky the fall didn't mess up my hair."

"This is boring!" Two-Bit sat on the ground, crossing his arms across his chest like a child having a tantrum. "There's nothing to do."

"I know what we can do!" Sodapop grinned. "Truth or dare!"

A chorus of "what"'s, "ugh"'s and "NO"'s filled the room.

"Aw, c'mon, it'll be fun!" Soda pouted.

"Ugh, fine!" Dally sat on the ground. "Only because there's nothin' else to do."

"Okay, okay," Soda began. "Truth or dare... Johnny?"

"Uhm." Johnny shrugged. "Truth, I guess."

Soda thought for a few moments. "If you were stuck on a desert island, with all of us, who would you swim away with."

"That's a stupid question," Dally told him.

"Shush! Let him answer!"

"Uhh," Johnny said. "I dunno, Pony, maybe."

Ponyboy high-fived Johnny.

"Okay, you're turn," Soda told him.

"Hmmm," Johnny thought. "Truth or dare, Dallas!"

"Oh, god..." Dally rolled his eyes. "Since you're all chicken, I'll go with dare."

"Ooooohhhh!" Two-Bit chanted.

Johnny grinned. "I dare you to answer this question!"

"Damn you!" Dally rolled his eyes, again. "Sneaky little bas... OW!" He rubbed his arm where Darry had hit him... again!

"I've always wanted to know this..."

"What?" Dally asked. "Spit it out, kid."

"Would you rather date a rich workoholic who buys you things or a poor girl who treats you like a prince?"

"Depends who's better in bed." Dally chuckled. Darry put his arm up to hit him again but Dallas blocked him off. "Quit it!"

They played Truth or Dare for hours, until they finally got tired.

"C'mon, I gotta go to bed!" Two-Bit whined. "My eyes feel like they have paper cuts!"

"Just sleep here!" Steve shrugged.

"Fine!" Two-Bit grumbled. They all attempted to go to sleep on the cold, rock-hard floor.

After what seemed like forever, Two-Bit finally stopped talking and they managed to fall asleep.

The strange thing was, everyone had a weird dream that night.

Steve dreamed that a giant teddy bear bought out all the candy at the DX.

Two-Bit dreamed that Mickey Mouse went on a murderous rampage, braking into the local high school and took everyone hostage.

Soda dreamed that a carrot committed suicide and that carrot somehow turned into a carrot cake, and the gang ate it.

Ponyboy dreamed that he went the New York with Dally and Johnny, and they all went on rides at fairs.

Johnny dreamed that he became a movie star and played Rose from Titanic. The strange thing was that Dallas was Jack.

Darry, strangely enough, dreamed that everyone in the gang were female and having pillow fights.

And Dally... well, he didn't dream at all.

"Uh, guys," Darry asked as soon as he woke up. He shook the sleeping Soda next to him awake as he checked his watch. "I think we can go now. It's been 18 hours!"

* * *

**Thank you to ****_Sodapoplover4524, AlongTheBinding, ,Paradise, Crystalteen, greasergalsoda_****and****_ Catie _****for reviewing my last chapter! :D U rock!**

**And a HUGE thank you to Crystalteen for the idea of truth or dare and the gang having fun at the Curtis' house! :D**

**- L**


	5. Double Drabbles

**1) One For All**

**Darry confronts Ponyboy about his 'issues'.**

* * *

"I have problems?" Ponyboy asked his older brother, Darry. "I don't have any problems!"

"I'm not saying you have problems, Pony, I'm just..."

"Then what are you sayin', huh? I'm sorry if I'm acting differently because I lost my best friend! He was the only one in this town to actually give a damn about me!"

"We care about you Pony," Darry told him. "We're just worried. You just got a concussion, you had to go to court, and I know that you have some issues with losing Johnny. That's why we want you to talk to someone about it. And if that person isn't one of us, you gotta see a professional."

"But I don't want to see a counsellor!" Ponyboy told his older brother.

"Tough luck, kid. We all have problems, even me," Darry told him firmly. It would be strange for someone else to admit something like that, but Darry was the 'parent-type' - and he was a good one at that! He said things just to make others feel better. "We all have to see someone about it some time."

"But I don't NEED to see a counsellor!"

"This is getting nowhere, Darry." Sodapop confessed to his older brother. "If he doesn't want to see a counsellor, he doesn't have to."

It took a while for that to sink in. Soda almost never got caught up in an argument between Pony and Darry. Hell, he doesn't even want to be in the house when they're fighting!

"It's not whether he wants to, Soda, he needs to!"

"Why?" Pony asked quietly. "Why do I need to?"

"You need to tell someone how you're feeling!"

"I've already done that!" Ponyboy told him.

"What?" Sodapop asked, hurt that he didn't tell him anything. "Who?"

"My...my journal."

"You have a journal?" Soda asked, receiving a glare from Darry because of it.

"This is good," Darry nodded at the middle brother. "At least he's getting it all out."

"But... Why a journal?"

"It's not just a journal!" Pony said, defending himself. "It was my English theme."

"You have an English theme?" Soda asked again.

"Soda, shush," Darry told him. He then turned back to Pony. "Can we read it?"

"I dunno..." Pony scratched the back of his neck. "I mean, I've written some personal stuff in there... I dunno if I should let you read it."

"I'll throttle you if you don't."

"Darry!" Soda gasped. "It's not nice to threaten!"

"Well, what other option do we have?"

"True..."

"Okay, fine. You can read it," Ponyboy sighed, getting off the kitchen counter and walking into his room to retrieve his 'journal'... and thus, began the story of how Darry and Soda found out that Ponyboy had been documenting his life story.

And it was one hell of a story.

* * *

**2) One Of A Kind**

**Johnny tries to get Dally to watch a sunset by being more confident... But sometimes it's just easier to be yourself :)**

* * *

"C'mon, please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"I said no!"

"But it'll be fun!"

"Is there any booze?"

"No, but -"

"Then no." Dally shook his head as he sat in his favourite booth at The Dingo.

"Dallyyyy!" Johnny whined. "I promise you won't regret it!"

"I promise you I will regret it!"

"You won't!"

"I will!"

"You won't!"

"I will!"

"You - fine. You will." Johnny sighed. "I'll just watch it by myself."

"Hm..." Dally bit his lip. "Something's wrong with you..."

"Y-you don't have to point it out, Dally..."

"No, I mean, you're more perky or somethin'." Dally observed.

"Perky?" Johnny asked. "Since when am I perky?"

"Since right now, wise-ass!" Dally lit up a cigarette.

Johnny stayed quiet.

"Ah, there's the Johnny we all know and love."

Johnny STILL stayed quiet.

"Aw, c'mon, Johnny, speak to me."

"I tried..."

"What?"

"I tried to be more confident, like you... but you didn't like it..." Johnny mumbled to the floor.

"What?" Dallas' eyebrows knotted in confusion. "Johnnycakes, bugging me into doing stupid things isn't like me! That's a Two-Bit thing."

"But..."

"No buts!" Dally ordered. "You wanted to go out to eat, we're doing it now. But I am not, I repeat, NOT, watching a sunset, under any circumstances!"

"Pleeeeaaasseee?"

"Johnny," Dally warned.

"I'm just kiddin'."

"So, what do you want?" Dally asked, opening the menu.

"I was thinking grilled cheese." Johnny peeked up from the menu to look at Dally, covering his smirk. To Dally, it looked quite funny, only being able to see his big brown eyes and dark, greasy hair. "Because it's warm and gold, and pretty and..."

"Johnny!" Dally warned, louder this time. He was starting to go soft on the kid lately, and he didn't know why. He just couldn't yell at the kid while looking into those, big, sad eyes. It was too much. Lately, Johnny was becoming less Dally's pet, and more like his annoying brother. But Dally didn't mind, he always wanted a brother. He was also glad that Johnny was getting more confident. Each time Dally went out to lunch with Johnny, he would get happier and happier. A happy Johnny was a fun Johnny.

"I'm jokin'." Johnny grinned. "It's not like I wanted to tempt you or anythin'."

The smile made Dally melt. And NOTHING could make Dally melt.

"Okay, fine." Dally told him.

"What?" Johnny looked up, surprised.

"I'll watch the sunset with you tonight." Dally grinned. "When is it?"

"Uhm, it's in, like, fifteen minutes."

"What are we waitin' for, then?" Dally asked, leaping out of his seat and making his way out of the diner. Johnny, finally realising what was going on, dropped the menu back on the table and raced outside to follow Dally.

* * *

**Thank you _Cat414, Johnnycakelover3, Justobsessed, AlongTheBinding, Director99 _and_ Pixie silver _for reviewing, it means so so much :)**

**I hope you liked these short drabbles :)**

**- L**


	6. Five Days

**Five Days**

**Sodapop is shattered when Ponyboy runs off with Johnny to Windrixville. Not only that, he has just recieved a letter from Sandy, and it's not a nice one. Those were undeniably the most heart-breaking five days Soda has ever experienced.**

* * *

**Day One**

"What the hell?" I gasped for air, trying to get over what just happened. I had no clue what would happen, or where Ponyboy ran off to. "Why? Why did you do that, Darry?"

"I-I didn't think, I just..." His face was as pale as a ghost, and I didn't blame him. He had done a lot for us: cooking, cleaning, paying bills, getting groceries, working and putting up with us. But we also had to put up with him (Well, Ponyboy had to). What I did blame him for was slapping my baby brother, he had full control over that.

"Forget it, we'll talk about it later. Right now, I'm gonna go find my kid brother." With that, I stormed out of the house and headed for the lot.

"Ponyboy," I yelled out. "Ponyboy, where are you?"

I looked around trees, in a 7/11, in alleyways and even inside gutters. I was getting paranoid and confused. Not being able to find your kid brother is the worst feeling.

That, and guilt...

And the worst part was, I was feeling both.

I called for hours. It felt like an eternity. I remember thinking, _I've never not known where Ponyboy is before_.

I finally went back home

My kid brother was missing. I cried myself to sleep that night.

**Day Two**

The next day wasn't the best day. My eyes hurt from crying and some stupid socs came to the DX, which didn't help much.

I knew they were gonna steal something. I just knew it. You know that feeling in your stomach where you just have that sudden shock or fear? Well, I was feeling that. I didn't know how to handle people that stole!

I thought that stealing was a greaser thing, but perhaps not.

"Hey, hey!" I yelled automatically as one of them shoved a candy bar into the pocket of his black hoodie. _Aw, crud... _ I thought.

"What, you got a problem, greaser?" The tall one asked me as he walked towards me.

The logical side of my brain (the very, very small bit) thought, "no, not at all"! My stupid head had to be idiotic today.

"Yes I do, now put it down!"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll smash your *bleep*ing heads off, that's what! Don't mess with me, I've had a rough day!"

They slowly backed out of the DX station. _Job well done, Soda,_ I thought.

"Hey, Soda..." Steve walked into the DX just a few minutes after the guys left. "Ponyboy has a paragraph in the newspaper."

"Can I see it?"

"Naw." He shook his head uncomfortably. "I don't think you wanna see it."

Well, my day had just gotten a whole lot worse. I never told anyone what happened at the DX.

My baby brother was a criminal. I cried myself to sleep that night, too.

**Day Three**

"Hey, Soda," Darry called from the kitchen. He was looking through the mail.

"Yeah?" I asked as I walked in.

"Letter for you," he mumbled so softly I could barely hear him. "It's from Sandy."

"Oooh, yay!" I giggled like a four-year-old as I opened it.

It read:

_Dear Soda,_

_I'm leaving Tulsa with my parents. I know you love me, and you need to know that I love you. I just can't do this right now._

_What we had was great. I'm so sorry._

_- Sandy_

Darry must've seen the look on my face, because his smile faded. "What is it?"

"It's... it's Sandy." I felt my eyes well up with tears.

"Aw, Soda..." He stood next to me and rubbed my back. "It's okay, Pepsi-Cola."

I thought I was going to marry her. I cried myself to sleep, again.

**Day Four**

"You _what_?" I asked Dally as he sat next to me on the couch and cracked open his beer can. "You knew where they were the whole time?"

"They're safe, don't worry!" He furrowed his eyebrows, as if annoyed. "I'm going up there tomorrow, write a letter and I'll give it to him." It wasn't a suggestion, it was more like an order.

So I sat at my desk in my room and sat there, thinking what to write. After just a few minutes, I had sort of an idea. I had to tell him that I missed him and that Darry was awfully sorry. We all knew that he didn't mean to do it, he was just stressed.

I'm not the best at grammer, but I had to write it; I just HAD to.

So I picked up my pen and began to write.

It's not that I didn't trust my brother, it's just that I didn't trust anyone else. I hoped to God that he was safe. For the fourth time this week, I cried myself to sleep.

**Day Five**

I walked through one of the doors in the hospital. I nearly freaked when I saw my brother. "Ponyboy!" I ran up to him and had him in a bear hug in seconds.

"Your hair..." My mouth fell open as I touched his hair. "Your tuff, tuff, hair."

"Ponyboy..." I heard someone whisper in a pleading voice. I looked back and it was Darry.

It took both Ponyboy and I a while before we realised that he was crying.

"Darry!" Ponyboy literally jumped on him. "Darry, I'm so, so sorry..."

That made me smile. Finally, we were back to normal (ish). We were all together again and no one would bring us apart.

For the first time this week, I didn't cry myself to sleep.

* * *

**Yay! I got so many reviews, and they were all such nice ones! Thank you _AlongTheBinding, Cat414, Mrs Pony Curtis, SodapopLover4524, Pen . Paper .Paradise _and_ GreaserGalSoda _for reviewing my last chapter :DYou're amazing! :)**

**A special thank you to Pen . Paper . Paradise for the idea!:)**

**I have a few suggestion one-shots that I'm currently working on, but feel free to leave a suggestion and I'll add it to my list. Thank you :D**

**- L**


	7. Two Against One!

**Two Against One!**

**Sodapop and Darry have to look after baby Ponyboy. Let's just say they're not the best role models...**

* * *

Darrel, Sodapop; this is your new brother." The nurse showed the two boys the baby, wrapped in a baby blue cotton blanket.

"What's her name?" Sodapop asked, jumping up and down with excitement. He was eager to be a big brother, like Darry already was.

"Oh, no," The nurse chuckled. "He's a boy."

"He's a he?" Soda gasped. "But we already have two he's," he said in confusion, obviously referring to Darry and himself.

"He's a he." The nurse nodded. "Now, come on, do you want to see your mother now?"

Soda nodded and Darry reached for the nurses hand, which she gladly accepted, and led the boys to Mrs Curtis' room.

"Hey, boys," their mother smiled.

"Hi mummy!" Soda basically lept onto her.

"Hi , Sodapop, hello Darry. Thank you, Miss Jensen."

"Oh, please," the nurse grinned, making her way out the door. "Call me Ellaine."

"What's her name?" Sodapop asked.

"He's a boy, Soda." Mr Curtis told them. "And his name is Ponyboy."

"Like the horse?"

"Yes, like the horse," he told them, smiling. "Now, who wants ice-cream?"

"I do, I do, I do!" Both Darry and Soda chanted as they followed their dad out of the room and made their way to the cafeteria.

**TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS LATER**

"What? Why can't we come with you?" Soda asked, pouting.

"Because we're old enough to stay home alone, duh!" Darry grinned excitedly.

"YOU maybe!" Soda pouted even more, his bottom lip trembling in an attempt to make Mr and Mrs Curtis feel sorry for him. "You're nine! But I'm only six!"

"Almost seven," Darry corrected.

"Still!"

"I'm older than you, I make the rules!"

"Nah!" Soda fought back.

"Actually, we make the rules," Mrs Curtis told them as she pushed herself up on her tip-toes to kiss her husband on the cheek. "And we think you're old enough to stay home. It's a nice neighbourhood, and we trust you to watch Ponyboy."

"We're only going grocery shopping, we'll be back later," Mr Curtis said as they left. "Goodbye, boys."

Sodapop sniffled. "What now, Darry?"

"I-I don't know." Darry pouted as well. "I'm bored."

"Me too..."

"Daddy said we have to watch Ponyboy."

"Oh, oh!" Soda grinned. "We can be like Mummy and Daddy! We can look after him and feed him and play with him and-"

"We can practice being parents!" Darry gasped. "Soda, you're a genius!"

"I know right!"

Ponyboy was in his cot in the living room, and the two older boys were watching him from the kitchen.

"We are going to be the greatest parents." Soda nodded at Darry, who got his watergun ready. "But first... let's play!"

"Ready?" He asked the younger boy.

"Totes."

Darry looked at his brother strangely. "...what?"

"It's an... an abbriviatory."

"An abbriviation?"

"Yeah, that. Totes."

"...what."

"Let's gooo!" Sodapop squirted Darry with his smaller water gun.

"I didn't say go yet!"

"Too bad!" Soda laughed as he jumped in front of the cot.

Darry squirted his water gun at Soda, who ducked, making the water hit Ponyboy. "NYAAA!" He squealed.

"...whoops."

"Uh, oh, uh oh," Soda repeated. "This ain't good, Dar."

"Eeeehehh!" Ponyboy grinned. "I feel funny, eeeeheeeheeeh!"

Darry and Soda lookedat each other. "He likes getting hit by a water gun?"

"Strange child..." Darry shook his head.

"More, more!"

Soda squirted the water gun at the two-year-old, hitting him straight in the face. Ponyboy fell back onto his pillow.

"SODA!" Darry grabbed the water gun off of him. "Are you trying to kill him? We aren't even allowed to use the water guns in the house, i-if Dad finds out, we'll be in big trouble!"

"More, more!"

Soda grinned at Ponyboy and then back at Darry. "Two against one!" He aimed the water gun and Darry's face and shot him.

Darry fell back onto the couch. "We are _so_ dead."

* * *

**Thank you Pen .Paper . Paradise and MyMischeif for reviewing.**

**An even bigger thank you to greasergalsoda for the idea! :)**

**Review please :]**

**- Lollie**


	8. Shut it, Two-Bit

**Shut it, Two-Bit**

**Johnny and Ponyboy have found themselves girlfriends, so it's up to Sodapop and his faithful companion Two-Bit to spy on them.**

* * *

"Yeah, thanks, Ellen!" Johnny grinned into the Curtis' home phone, doing a little victory fist-pump. "I'll see you tonight, bye!" He hung up the phone.

"Well, well, well..."

Johnny almost jumped six feet in the air. "Gosh, Two-Bit. You scared me!"

Two-Bit stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Who is this, 'Ellen', person?"

"She's just a girl," Johnny shrugged.

"I figured."

"Golly, Two-Bit. What else do you want?" Johnny asked, a little annoyed.

"I want answers, Cade!" He grinned sheepishly. "Where did you meet her?"

"What?" Johnny asked, relatively shocked. "Y-you think we're dating? She's just a friend!"

"Sure, you say that now! But in a few weeks you'll get butterflies and love bites and you'll be day-dreaming all the time."

Johnny stayed silent. He just stared at the older boy in disbelief and utter annoyance.

"Well, you'll daydream even more!" Two-Bit corrected himself.

"Give it a rest, Two-Bit. Nothing's going on. Just..." Johnny bit his lip. "Don't tell anyone."

"Aha! I was right!"

"No you weren't." Johnny headed out the door. "I gotta go, see ya later Tw-"

"LIES!" Two-Bit cried out, rushing over to the smaller teen. "You're going to see her, aren't you? This, 'Ellen' bird, aren't ya, kid?"

"Goodbye, Two-Bit." Johnny closed the door.

* * *

_THUMP_

"Ughhhh, shut up!" Sodapop yelled at nothing at particular as he pulled his pillow over his head. "Pony, what's that thumping?"

No one answered.

_THUMP_

"Pony...?" Soda felt under the covers. Ponyboy wasn't there!

He walked out into the kitchen, just in time to see Ponyboy grab his coat and make his way out the door with Johnny. What were they doing? It was 11 o'clock at night!

"Two-Bit!" Soda hissed, poking Two-Bit, who was sleeping in the living room. All he got as a reply was a snort.

"Aw, I'm good, baby." He mumbled into his pillow. Soda did NOT want to know what he was dreaming about.

Soda shoved the sleeping drunk off the couch.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?" Two-Bit rubbed his head.

"Ponyboy and Johnny sneaked off somewhere!"

"Hmmm," Two-Bit hummed, grinning evilly. "I think I know where they're going. Let's follow them!"

* * *

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Sodapop asked his friend, Two-Bit. "I mean, I know Ponyboy's growing up. He just started shaving last month and he got a job at Dingo's. We shouldn't be spying on him and invading his personal life."

Two-Bit stared at him blankly as he shuffled behind the bush he was hiding at. "I have no clue what half the words you said actually mean. Here, use the binoculars. You get a better view."

Sodapop rolled his eyes, but grabbed the binoculars out of Two-Bit's hand anyway. He zoomed in and saw Johnny, who he believed to be 'Ellen', Ponyboy and another girl through the glass window at a fancy restaurant called, 'Britain's'.

"How did they ever get the money to go to a place like Britains?!" Two-Bit asked.

"Pony's got a job, remember?" Soda reminded him. "He's been saving up, but he never told me what it was for."

"Well, now ya know."

"Shut it, Two-Bit."

* * *

"I had a great time," Ellen kissed Johnny's cheek. Sodapop and Two-Bit giggled like little girls from behind the bushes.

"Yeah, this double-date thing was a good idea!" The other girl agreed. "Did you have fun, Ponyboy?"

Ponyboy smirked at Johnny, who was blushing, and then looked back at the confident blonde. "I had lots of fun, Lyndsay."

"I told you to call me Lyn!" She giggled.

"Do you want us to walk you home?" Johnny offered.

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Ellen nodded, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Well, nerds attract nerds, right?" Two-Bit whispered to Sodapop.

"Shh! They're coming this way!" Soda gasped. "What do we do?"

"We, uh, run?" Two-Bit suggested, but they were too slow.

"What's that thing in the bushes?" Lyn gasped.

"I'll check it out," Ponyboy told her.

"No, Pony!" She latched onto his arm dramatically. "It could be dangerous!"

This made Two-Bit laugh.

"Dude, shut up!" Soda hissed.

"I-I-I can't help it!"

"Two-Bit?" Johnny asked as Ponyboy called his brothers name at the same time.

"Uh, hey, Pony." Soda tried to grin.

"Uhm, what's going on?" Ellen asked her friend.

"I don't know," whispered Lyn. "Maybe we should leave."

They started to walk away.

"E-Ellen! Lynsday!" Johnny cried out, but they didn't turn around. "Noooo-ohh!" He looked like he had just gotten told that his hamster died.

"Now look what you did!" Ponyboy groaned.

Two-Bit slapped Ponyboy on the back. "I must say, you have fine taste in women, Pone."

Ponyboy looked at the blonde girl that was walking away into the darkness of the street. "Shut it, Two-Bit."

* * *

**Thank you to:**

**Crystalteen**

**AlongTheBinding**

**greasergalsoda**

**and guest reviewers for reviewing my last one-shot :D**

**A SUPER DUPER thank you to Johnnycakelover3 and SodaPopLover4524 for the ideas :D I merged them both into one one-shot if that's okay. Thank you for the ideas :D**

**- Loll**


	9. Meow!

**Meow!**

**"Do you even remember what happened last night?"**

* * *

_Flick_

_"I don't think that's a good idea, Daffy!"_

_Flick_

_"But Alvin-"_

_Flick_

_"Astroboy!"_

_Flick_

_"Yaba, daba doooo!"_

_Flick_

_"And I would've gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you medling kids!"_

_Flick_

_"Wiiillmaaaa!"_

"Jeez!" Two-Bit tsk-ed as he turned the TV off. "Is there nothing good on these days?"

"Ughhh," came a moan from Ponyboy's bedroom. He stumbled his way into the living room and was greeted by Two-Bit.

"Well, good morning, sleeping beauty."

"You're... you're too loud." Ponyboy groaned as he collapsed on the couch next to Two-Bit. "What... what time is it?"

"Three o'clock."

"IN THE MORNING?"

"In the afternoon, you idiot!"

"I SLEPT ALL DAY?"

Two-Bit whacked Ponyboy over the head with his pillow.

"Ow! What the heck was that for?" Pony asked angrily.

"For being annoying."

Ponyboy, ignoring Two-Bit's insult, put his hand on his forehead to settle his headache down.

Just a few minutes later, Johnny, Steve and Dally walked in the room.

"Did you get your homework done?" Johnny asked Ponyboy.

"W-what?" He asked, completely and utterly confused as he got up off the couch and followed the three into the kitchen.

"Last night, you said you had an assignment due in two days," Johnny told him. "That's why you left the lot early."

"Oh, yeah. I remember," He lied. He honestly had no idea what he was talking about.

I guess I was so fixated on my headache that I forgot everything else, Ponyboy thought.

"Kid," Dally started, "do you even remember what happened last night?"

"Uhm, no, not really." He shrugged. "Why?"

Everyone exchanged awkward glances. "What?" He asked. "What did I do?"

"You got totally drunk off your ass!" Two-Bit laughed as he walked into the kitchen.

"What? I don't remember that."

"Figured," said Steve. "I'm surprised you don't got a total hangover."

_So that's why my head hurt this morning..._ He thought.

"Dude, Darry was so mad!" Two-Bit cackled.

He looked at Darry, who didn't look very happy.

"I can't believe you don't remember!" Dally laughed. "You went crazy. We went to Buck's last night."

"Buck's? Why in the world was I at Buck's?"

Everyone turned to face Dally, who looked unusually uncomfortable. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, saying, "I, uh, kinda took you there."

When Ponyboy stayed silent, Dally continued. "What? It's not like you didn't want to go! I asked and you said yes!

"That just makes it even worse, Dally." Darry shook his head.

"Why?" Ponyboy asked. "What happened?"

"Let me begin." Two-Bit grinned. "It was a cold, chilly night..."

**_*** Eighteen Hours Earlier ***_**

"Get me a beer, Two-Bit," said Dallas Winston, to his older-but-definately-more-immature friend.

"What?" Two-Bit grumbled, annoyed. "Why me?"

"Because, if you don't, I will pummel you to the ground and rub out your liver." Dally smirked. "Capiche? Good. Now go!"

Two-Bit tsk-ed, shaking his head, but he went over to the bar anyway.

"This place is loud," Ponyboy observed.

"Try being here on a Wednesday..." Dally made a face, making his way to the jukebox.

"Why?" Ponyboy eyed him suspiciously, following him. "What happens on a Wednesday?"

Dally patted his head, smirking. "Things that are not pure enough for your ears to hear, little one."

Ponyboy brushed his hand away. "Hey, I'm sixteen years old now! And Johnny is eighteen! We're not kids anymore, Dal."

"I know, I know." He chuckled.

"Here you are, Sir Dallas James Winston." Two-Bit saluted to Dally after giving him a can of beer and then turned to Ponyboy. "And for you, Lady Ponyboy Michael Curtis."

Ponyboy, ignoring Two-Bit's insult, said, "I-I don't know if that's a good idea..."

"What?" Dally smirked, lighting up a cigarette. "I thought you weren't a kid anymore."

"I-I ain't!" Ponyboy grabbed the beer forcefully out of Two-Bit's hand and chugged it down.

"I didn't know you had it in ya, PC!" Two-Bit nudged him.

"You don't..." Ponyboy coughed. "You don't know a lot of things."

"Oohh, someone's getting feisty!" Two-Bit teased. "More beer?"

"Yes please."

"I'm on it!"

It was just one hour later when Pony became, well, _drunk_. Too drunk for Dally's liking.

"C'mon, kid. I'll take you home." Dally got a hold of Ponyboy's wrist, but he shook him off.

"No!" Ponyboy hissed like a cat or dog would, making Dally jump. He was afraid of almost nothing - except cats. He never liked cats.

"Aw, relax, Dal." Two-Bit grinned his usual grin. "He's having fun!"

Ponyboy somehow managed to pop out in the middle of Two-Bit and Dally, grinning like the Cheshire cat (how ironic). "I'm having funnn!"

"Screw you, kid." Dally glared.

Ponyboy looked hurt. "I-I..."

"Oh, God!" Two-Bit gasped dramatically. "He's gonna blow!"

Surely enough, Ponyboy started to cry. "Meowww! Meow!"

**_*** Present ***_**

"And thus, concludes my amazing story. " Two-Bit finished.

"Wow... Wait, hold up." Ponyboy held his hands up in the air, his elbows at his sides. "I _meowed?" _He walked away, shaking his head at the ground.

"So," Steve said when he heard Ponyboy's door slam shut, and he knew he was out of reach. "You gon' tell him what really happened?"

"Naw." Two-Bit shook his head. "I think we'll save that for another day."

* * *

**Thank you to AlongTheBinding, Pen. Paper. Paradise, greasergalsoda, Mrs Ponyboy Curtis and Cat414 for the reviews on my last chapter :)**

**Whoever can guess the names of ALL the 60's cartoons on the TV, gets a shoutout :D ... and a cookie!**

**- Loll**


	10. Revengeful Traditions

**Revengeful Traditions**

**It's April Fools, and Two-Bit is in a bit of a pickle! He forgot to buy a whoopie cushion! Not only that, Steve is out for revenge from last year. Can he make it to the store without getting pranked?**

* * *

"Good morning, Tulsa! It's everybody's favourite day of the year, April Fo-"

"APRIL FOOLS!" Two-Bit jumped out of his bed excitedly as he turned off his radio-alarm clock. He threw the sheets off of his bed, not caring how messy it was. His mother would probably die of shock if he ever made his bed, anyway.

Two-Bit stumbled over to his wardrobe, still a little woozy from Tim Shepard's party last night. He slammed open the door to see a stack of unorganised clothes laying in the wardrobe. He pulled out jeans, jean jackets, empty pop bottles and beer cans, boots, even an old, rotten, half-eaten apple. But where was his box of pranks?

"Yo, Mum!"

"What?" His mother walked into his room a few seconds later, looking a little ticked off.

Jeez, Two-Bit thought, she obviously hasn't gotten her morning cup of coffee cup yet.

"Where's my prank box?"

"I don't eve - oh, wait. I threw it out a few weeks ago. You don't use it anymore do you, Keith?"

Two-Bit gasped. "You... pranks... threw out... box... pranks..." His jaw fell wide open. "IT'S GONE!"

"Give it a rest, Keith," mumbled Mrs Mathews, shaking her head as she walked out of his room. "It's time to start being more mature, instead of playing with those foolish pranks of yours," she called over her shoulder.

"They. Are. Not." His eye twitched a little as he muttered to himself, "FOOLISH."

* * *

"You were meant to wash the plates up, Ponyboy!" Darry called to his younger brother from the kitchen.

"I told you, I'll do it later!"

Darry, finally having enough of this, walked into the living room, grabbed Ponyboy's wrist and ganked him off the couch.

"What was that for?" Ponyboy asked as he got dragged into the kitchen.

"I've had enough of your attitude, kid brother! You've been slacking off a lot lately. What's up with you?"

"Nothing's up with me, whatever that means..." Ponyboy looked at his older brother strangely, suspicious of his newly-found 'slang'.

"Well hurry up and wash the dishes, before I come home from work," Darry ordered, picking up his briefcase and walking out the door. "Good-bye, Soda!"

"Bye Darry," Soda called from his bedroom.

"See you later, Pone." Darry looked at him, his eyes filled with warning, before closing the screen door.

Ponyboy picked up a plate, and starting scrubbing furiously. "This is so boring!"

That was when he noticed the fake spider on the chair near him. Two-Bit had put it in Pony's bed and scared the living daylights out of him. This time, it was Ponyboy's time to shine.

* * *

"I can't believe I don't have a whoopie cushion!" Two-Bot groaned as he threw his worn-out jean jacket over his shoulder, walking grudgily out the front door.

He knew he should've checked to make sure that he had all his pranks ready. He guessed he was just too drunk last night to even care about April Fools.

But today was different. He remembered what Steve told him exactly one year ago today.

"You drunk jerk, Two-Bit!" Steve hollered at him after a bucket of water fell off the roof and onto his head. "Next year, I'll get you!"

Two-Bit had to admit, last year's prank was pretty good. He had set it up so that there was a hook on the roof of the Curtis' house, where the bucket of cold, icy water was held up, balancing barely.

When the front door slammed open on that frosty afternoon where the DX employees came home, the string attached to the screen door and the bucket handle pulled the bucket off the hook, so that it came toppling downon Steve's head. His swirly, greasy hair was ruined, and he had just gotten ready for his date with Evie, too!

Steve never really forgave him for that.

Two-Bit cautious the whole way, watching little soc children playing ball from the corner of his eye. Anything could have happened! Steve was always one to hold grudges, so Two-Bit had to keep an eye out.

DING, DING! The bells on the door of 'Leroy's Prank House' chimed as the hooded greaser walked into the store.

"Hey, Two-Bit!" Donald, Leroy's thirty-something-year-old son, grinned. Two-Bit snapped around to face him. "How's my regular customer?"

"Shh!" Two-Bit hissed, putting his finger to his lips. "I'm in hiding, Don! I'm on a mission!"

Don put his arms up in mock defense. "Whatever, you say, Two-Bit!" He cackled, feeling proud of doing the opposite of what his younger friend told him to do.

Two-Bit just glared. "You got any good pranks for me, Don?"

"For you, anything!"

* * *

PLOP!

That onomatopoeia you just read was the sound of Two-Bit's fake spider, and Ponyboy dropped it into the coffee that he had made his older brother.

"I'm home!" Darry called just as the front door slammed shut.

Perfect timing! If you could imagine Ponyboy doing Mr Burn's famous 'excellent' finger tenting, you're right... Except he wasn't that cunning. It was just a harmless prank, right?

"Here," Ponyboy gave the hot cup to Darry as he walked through the door. "I made you coffee."

Darry, being quite shocked, took a while to register what was going on. This was strange. Ponyboy never made him coffee! Maybe it was his way of saying sorry? "Oh, wow. Thanks, Pone!"

Ponyboy watched Darry as he sat down and read the paper, sipping his coffee every once in a while. Pony contemplated watching television until Darry was up to his last drop, and he noticed the spider, but this was something he didn't want to risk missing. He just wiped up (well, pretended to wipe up) the stove, watching his older brother out of the corner of his eyes. He smirked when he saw Darry staring wide-eyed into the bottom of the mug.

"PONY!"

* * *

"We have these, uhm, things." Don pointed to a box up on the top off the shelf.

"I'm not going to ask what they are, Don." Two-Bit told him. "I just need something simple and elegant, yet dangerous and scary as heck!"

"I'm not sure what we have in stock right now that, erhh, meets your pranking needs." Don chose those words carefully, not entirely sure what Two-Bit was asking for.

WHAM!

"What the?" Two-Bit asked to no one in particular, as he felt his cold, wet hair.

Chuckles came from the aisle next to him. Steve appeared as he turned the corner and ran into his 'friend'.

"What the heck was that?"

"Water bomb!" Steve told him through cackles. "I told you I would get you from last year, didn't I?"

If you could imagine steam coming out of Two-Bit's ears, that was how he was feeling. "I guess I have to get revenge next year, huh?"

* * *

**Did you like it? I thought the ending was kind of lame, but meh. I'm sorry it took a week to update, I've had so many assignments and projects ughh -.- **

**I just noticed that I write a lot of one-shots on Two-Bit. He's just so funny to write about XD**

**Thank you to AlongTheBinding, greasergalsoda, Crystalteen, Mrs Pony Curtis, Cat414, Ponyboy lover, Pixie silver and EmeraldRain25 for reviewing my last one-shot :)**

Congrats to:

_**- AlongTheBinding**_

_**- greasergalsoda**_

_**- Mrs Pony Curtis**_

_**- Pixie silver**_

for guessing the cartoons :)

Here are the answers:

_**1. Looney Tunes**_

_**2. Alvin and the Chipmunks**_

_**3. Astroboy (obviously :P)**_

_**4. The Flinstones**_

_**5. Scooby Doo**_

_**6. The Flinstones (again)**_

**- L**


	11. Scary Movie VI

**Scary Movie**

**Out favourite greasers have watched their all-time favourite movie, "Night of the Living Dead".**

**They may be tough when it comes to rumbles, but they sure as heck ain't tough when it comes to scary movies!**

_**WARNING: THERE IS MINOR CURSING IN THIS CHAPTER. SKIP THIS CHAPTER IF YOU'RE SENSITIVE ABOUT SWEARS. Just a heads up :)**_

* * *

"Guess what I got!" Two-Bit boomed as he burst through the door, skidding on the hard, wooden floorboard in the process.

"A life?" Dally asked, not looking up from the newspaper he was reading.

"Close!" Two-Bit grinned, holding up a video cover. "Night of the Living Dead!"

"No..." Sodapop gasped. "Really? That's the best movie!"

"Uh, no." Two-Bit threw it to Soda, who caught it gracefully. "It's the most legendary movie!"

"You mean crappiest?" Dally interjected.

"And scariest!" Ponyboy added.

Two-Bit, ignoring Ponyboy as usual, corrected Dally, "No, I really mean the most legendary. I ain't lying. You watch, you'll find out how legendary it is!"

"No thanks," Dally told him. "I'm off to go to Buck's, I hear there's a few new broads in town this week."

"Ew!" Sodapop scrunched his nose up as he watched Dally hurry out the door. "That was unneccesary."

"So, you guys up for it?" Two-Bit grinned, waving the movie in the air.

"Nope," Ponyboy said, walking into his bedroom.

"Hold it; hold it right there!" Two-Bit yanked Ponyboy's back collar, pulling him back.

Ponyboy clutched his neck, glaring. "What?"

"How do you know that it's scary if you've never watched it?"

"I HAVE watched it," Ponyboy argued. "And I didn't like it one bit!"

"So you have watched it?"

"That's what I just said, yes."

"And you survived?" Two-Bit asked.

Ponyboy looked at him strangely. "Yes..."

"So you can handle watching it again!" Two-Bit took his wrist and pushed him onto the couch, next to Soda. Pony cursed under his breath, recieving a slap on the back of the head by Soda.

"It's so weird having only four of us here," Johnny said quietly.

That was true. It was common for Darry to work late nights and Dally to head to Buck's, but it was unusual for Steve to work night shifts at the DX. He was usually wherever Soda or Two-Bit. He had to work a night shift because Fran, their usual night worker, had to drive to Utah to go to a family funeral.

"Well, it was either me or Steve," Soda told Pony, winking. "And we all know that the girls need their sleep, so I didn't work."

"A bit of an ego there, Soda?" Two-Bit joked as he pressed 'play' on the television. He crawled back and leaned against the couch, chuckling.

After fourty minutes of watching what Two-Bit said was 'the scariest movie alive', everyone in the room was shaking horribly.

"Cover your eyes, Johnny," Two-Bit whispered, nudging him. "This is the gross part."

"NYAAA-HAAA!" The sound of a young girl screaming made Johnny jump. He didn't like scary movies - especially not this one!

"Well," Two-Bit said as he stood up and stretched. "I'ma swing by the DX and pick up some popcorn. This movie is boring without popcorn."

Ponyboy and Sodapop, who were too ingrosed in the movie to register him, kept their eyes on the movie.

"Da da, da da, da-da da-da da-da!" Two-Bit hummed the theme song to Pink Panther as he walked down the thin, bumby main road. "Da-da da daaaaa!"

He stopped humming when he heard something rustling in the bushes on the edge of the sidewalk. He looked around. It was too late for anyone to be out. Well, except for him.

Ignoring it, he kept walking. A few minutes later, he heard footsteps walking behind him. When he turned around, no one was there. That was unusual, but not too alarming. He didn't hear any other noises until he made it to the DX.

Ding, ding.

Steve looked up from his magazine to see Two-Bit walk through the door.

"Hey, Stevo." He grinned. 'Are you having fun, all alone?"

"Screw you. What do you want, Two-Bit?"

"Popcorn. And lots of it."

"We don't got any popcorn."

"What?" Two-Bit gasped. "Where did it all go?"

Steve sighed. It was like talking to a brick wall. "We've never sold popcorn here. Go somewhere else."

"But the movie house is closed!" Two-Bit whined defensively.

"No shit, it's eleven at night."

"Ugh, fine. I'll go. Good-bye. I might die on the way home, so this could be my last goodbye. Bye!" Two-Bit walked out the door dramatically, making Steve roll his eyes and go back to reading his magazine.

When he got back to the Curtis' house, all three were asleep.

Two-Bit jumped as the phone rang. Who would be ringing at eleven o'clock at night? Furthermore, who would be ringing anyway. "Hello?"

"Hello Keith."

"Who is this?" Two-Bit asked.

"Your number one fan," the deep-voiced person answered.

There was a long pause. "That's not really an answer."

The stranger, ignoring Two-Bit's sarcastic remark, calmly said, "I'm coming for you."

"I'll ask one more time," Two-Bit ordered, growing annoying with this prank call. "Who is calling?"

BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

"_Asshole_!" Two-Bit slammed the phone back on the holder in frustration.

"What is it, Two-Bit?" Sodapop asked as he rubbed his eyes, walking up to his unusually loud friend.

"It's the zombies! They're out to get us!"

"...What?"

"The zombies! From the movie!"

"Are you aren't imagining it, Two-Bit?" Ponyboy asked as he walked into the kitchen to join the others, yawning.

"I'm not imagining anything, little one!" Two-Bit patted the 14 year old on the head, to which Ponyboy swatted away. "We're all going to die. That's what he said."

"How do you know it was a he?" Johnny asked. Two-Bit hadn't realised he was in the room until he said that.

"Do you know of any women who would ever consider prank calling us?"

"Okay... maybe not," Soda said. "Do you think it was one of the gang?"

"Why would they do that?" Ponyboy asked.

"You mean, why wouldn't they do that," Two-Bit corrected. "I reckon it was Dally."

"He's at Buck's," Johnny quietly said.

"Darry's working." Ponyboy turned to Soda, awaiting his theory.

"Steve's at the DX," he told them.

"Are you sure?" Pony asked. "Isn't it unusual for his to work night shifts?"

"He's there. I went to buy popcorn and he was there," Two-Bit said. "Who could it be?"

They instantly heard chuckling in the living room.

"What the heck?" Pony asked.

Two-Bit grabbed a banana from the and made his way into the room. When he saw someone, he threw it at them.

"OW, what the hell, Two-Bit?" Dally asked as he rubbed his forehead, leaping for Two-Bit.

"That was YOU?" Soda asked.

"You better believe it!" Dally told them proudly. "I can't believe you didn't get it!" Honestly, why would I go to Buck's at eleven at night? Do you really think any girls would be free at eleven? Idiots..."

"I thought it was you, but Johnny here was convinced it wasn't you!" Two-Bit grumpily sighed.

"Aw, shucks, kid." Dally chuckled at Johnny.

"At least someone here has faith in you..." Two-Bit muttered, smirking.

Dally leaped at the 19 year old, wrestling him on the couch and trying to tackle him to the ground. "Screw you!"

* * *

**Soooo... was it alright? Ending was pretty lame, I know -.-**

**Thank you to _Crystalteen, RainbowSprinkles, AlongTheBinding, Mrs Pony Curtis, Justobsessed _and_ Cat414 _for reviewing since I posted my last chapter.**

**And a very special thank you to RainbowSprinkles for the idea! :D I'm thinking of doing a one-shot on Darry for the next chapter (thanks Cat414!) so I would gladly accept any suggestions you have :D**

**I have a little quiz question for you guys!**

**Who plays Billy Loomis in the movie 'Scream'?**

**You will get a shoutout if you know it :D or you can google it, idk. Either way you'll get a shout! :D**

**- L**


	12. Cash, Platforms and Slurpies

**Cash, Platforms and Slurpies**

**Darry gets hired at the DX. Can he handled being bossed around by his kid brother? Meanwhile, Two-Bit has a new-found love... shoes.**

Also minor swearing in this chapter, too. Be warned!

* * *

"What?" Darry's jaw fell wide open as he stared at his boss in shock. "You're joking!"

"I'm sorry, Darrel," his boss told him as he sipped his hot coffee. He honestly looked guilty, but that didn't matter. Darry was fired. He was jobless. He was unemployed. How could he afford to keep his youngest brother stay in school now? "We have to let you go. There's a cut in our profits this year, we have to let a few of our employees go."

"But... But," Darry was at a loss for words. "Why me? I'm your best employee!"

"We know that, but it was either you or Elaine and, well..." His boss turned to face the young, pretty blonde on the phone, who was giggling, gossiping and filing her nails at the same time. That, and making coffee for everyone, was all she ever did. In this department, that was called skill. Being a hardworking, organised and effitient worker like Darry wasn't the skill they wanted. She was new and everyone loved her; not to mention that she was the office slut. "We chose to let you go."

Darry slammed his fist onto the table, making the coffee in Mr Jenkin's cup shake. "Bullshit!" He knew it was bad to swear, but this was an exception. It wasn't like Ponyboy was there to hear him. "It's just not fair! You're not letting me go, you're firing me! I have a family, I have to look after my kid brothers!"

"I know Darrel, it's just..."

"No!" Darry cut him off as he grabbed his jacket. "Don't. I'm leaving, I'm gone. Goodbye, Mr Jenkins."

That was it. That was the last time Mr Jenkins saw Darry.

* * *

"That's bullshit!" Sodapop kicked the couch, growling at no one in particular.

"I know, that's what I said."

"What's bullshit?" Ponyboy asked quietly as he walking into the living room. "Are we getting put into a boy's home?"

"No, no!" Darry didn't yell at Ponyboy for swearing, for once. He had too much on his mind anyway. "It's not that..."

"What is it, Darry?" Ponyboy looked upset. "Is it bad?"

"I, uhm... I'm not quite sure how to say this..." Darry rubbed the back of his neck. "I lost my job today."

"W-what?" Pony looked at Darry, then Soda, then Darry again. "Why?"

"There was a cut in profit and they had to let a few of us go," Darry told him calmly.

"What are you going to do?"

Darry rested his right foot on the wall behind him and crossed his arms, pondering. "I'm not sure."

"You can come work with me!" Soda grinned excitedly, like a little child who was just given a giant lollipop.

"I don't know, Soda."

"Come on," Soda persisted. "It'll be fun! Just me and you, chillin' at the DX. Good pay, too!"

Darry crossed his arms. You know the smiley, :/? Well, that was his face. "Fine, but only because we need the money!"

* * *

**2 Weeks Later...**

Ding, ding.

The bells on the DX door rang as someone walked into the station.

Darry didn't notice, he was too busy trying to get the slushie machine to work again.

"The hell are those?" Darry heard Steve cackle like a drunk.

He turned around and looked up, only to see Two-Bit.

In ugg boots.

_Gold_ ugg boots.

_Sparkly_ gold ugg boots.

Oh dear.

"What?" Two-Bit asked, dragging himself up to the counter and snatching a few packets of gum and shoving them into his pocket.

Darry quickly pulled them out of Two-Bit pocket and put them back, without him knowing.

"They were on special. I think they're cute." He did a little twirl, making Steve laugh loudly again.

"Have you finally gone mad?"

Two-Bit pouted at Steve's comment. "It ain't like your shoes are any better!"

Steve looked down at his old, ragged red sneakers. He rolled his eyes and walked out to the back of the DX to help Soda, who was fixing a car. Let's just say that Soda wasn't the best at fixing things. He was just eye-candy for the ladies.

Two-Bit quickly got over Steve's tantrum, and had moved onto annoying Darry. He wrapped his arm around his shoulder. "How are you liking having a job, ol' Darrel?"

"This job," Darry sighed. "It ain't the best."

"Aw." Two-Bit pouted as he rested his elbows on the counter. He said, with a baby voice, "wittle Dawwy can't handle being bossed by his kid bwother?"

"Shut your trap, Two-Bit, before I shut it for you." Darry threw an empty shushie cup at the laughing maniac as he wiped his colourful slushy hands on a tea-towel. "Well, the slushie machine's fixed."

"Huh," Two-Bit said to no one in particular. "I always thought it was called a slurpie."

The DX door bell rang again as a little girl, age about ten or eleven perhaps, skipped in. She had curly blonde hair and a yellow sundress on. "Hi!" She smiled cutely.

"Well hello there, little one." Two-Bit cackled, although Darry wasn't sure what he was laughing about.

"Get outta here, Keith," Darry hissed. He didn't want him to annoy any potential customers.

Two-Bit scowled at the use of his real name, but went outside anyway to bother Sodapop or Steve.

"Want would would you like?" Darry asked. He had never been good with kids, but he had to try.

"I want a slurpie." She put her money on the counter.

"So it is called a slurpie," Darry muttered as he turned around the the slushie, err... _slurpie_ machine.

When he went to turn it on, it spirted everywhere! And when I say everywhere, I mean everywhere! It even hit the little kid in the face.

"Oh, uhm, I'm sorry, I," Darry stuttered as he inspected the little girl's pouting face. She had blue, red and purple slushie all over herself. "Uh oh..."

Her bottom lip wobbled as she slowly went to get her money back from the counter. She sprinted out the door, but not before swiping a lollipop.

"Damnit!" Darry cursed. "I can't handle this. I think I need to start looking for a better paying job."

* * *

**I'm sorry, I just can't help it. When my characters are angry, they swear. That's just how I make them react :P**

**I also apologize for the whole 'ugg boots' incident. I guess I just can't help myself, I always get strange ideas for Two-Bit.. Even though this is suppposed to be a Darry fic 0.0**

**Well, I have the same humor as Two-Bit. It's no wonder that he's my favourite character to write about XD I also made Steve laugh a lot. Gosh, I love his laugh.**

**I'm sorry. I'm rambling. I feel silly now 0-0**

**I hope you liked it. I'm not too proud of it, myself. I kind of ran out of ideas for this one D: Suggestions? :)**

**ALSO... I have a new story out for the Outsiders called, 'I Ain't Even Mad'. It's ****kind if like an AU where the book never happened. Please check it out, I promise you won't regret it :)**

**- L**


	13. Secret Dates & Salty Tears

**Secret Dates & Salty Tears**

**There's only one person who can make Dallas get angry. But when that person is gone, Dallas gets an emotion that is much worse than anger.**

**Meanwhile, Johnny is hiding a secret. What sort of secret would he possibly keep from the other guys?**

* * *

"And that, my friends," Two-Bit exhaled as he took his cigarette out of his mouth and slung his arm around Ponyboy, "is how you get a blonde soc in your bed."

Sodapop pulled a face as he and Steve followed the other two down the sidewalk. They were on their way to their all-time favourite hangout. "That was the most disgusting story I ever heard."

Ponyboy's face went white as his eyes widened with shock at the smug looking man next to him. "I've never heard someone talk so dirty."

"Well, you gotta with soc chicks, Pony," Two-Bit whispered in his ear. He laughed when Pony swatted him away, getting flustered and annoyed.

Steve nodded in agreement as he patted his swirly hair down. For some reason he was starting to look more like Elvis everyday (something that excited Evie a lot). "They only like getting dirty with greasers because it makes them feel naughty."

"Can we stop talking about this, please?" Soda asked.

"Guys!" Pony whined. "My innocence is fading away!"

Two-Bit and Steve laughed like maniacs as they high-fived each other, making Pony and Soda look at each other awkwardly.

Soda raised his eyebrow at Two-Bit - a trick which, ironically, he picked up from Two-Bit.

"Aye, don't steal my thing, man!" Two-Bit pouted.

"What are you talking about? You taught me!"

They finally reached The Dingo, where they found Dallas and Sylvia arguing in a booth.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Steve groaned, right at the same time as Soda gasped, saying, "Aw, man! Not again!"

"This is too much," Two-Bit told the other three guys. "This happens every damn week."

"For once, I agree with Two-Bit," Steve said.

"You've been agreeing with him all day," Ponyboy muttered under his breath.

Steve continued, not hearing Ponyboy. "They either need to make up or break up."

"I vote break up!" Sodapop and Ponyboy shouted at the same time.

"Okay..." Steve cleared his throat awkwardly, thinking that it would be better off not to know their reasons for them wanting Dallas to be single again.

"You know what," they heard Dally yell as they walked closer to their booth and stood around. Not surprisingly, the fighting couple didn't notice their presence.

Dally latched onto Sylvia's hand and roughly tore the ring off her finger, putting it back on his own. "Go back to your zoo and screw that pig-ass bartender again, why don't you!"

"Fine. Fine, I'll go. I tried reasoning with you, but you're too stubborn! I will never, ever be your girl again Dallas James Winston! It's over!" Sylvia stood to leave, but Dallas pulled her back down.

"No, please! Baby, I forgive you. Don't leave me again." That was the first time Dally begged anyone. The gang were watching, utterly shocked.

"Forget it, Dally! We're through. You don't love me at all! You never tell me you do. You just go around flirting with girls and never spending any valuable time to go on any dates!"

"I do! Remember that time we..."

"It's over, Dallas. That's the past now. I'm not your girl anymore."

"You're not my girl?! Whose initials do I got on my fender, huh? Who has the privilage to be seen with me, and call her my girl? You do!" Dally was starting to get more angry than upset, now. "Only you!"

"The privilage?" Sylvia glared. Then she yelled two words at Dallas that made the whole hangout turn silent, before turning on her heel and walking out the door.

The four boys were silent as they slid into the booth next to Dallas.

Then they saw the most unexpected thing ever.

Dallas was crying.

**4 hours later.**

It was now 11pm, and Dallas still didn't say a word to the others. Even Two-Bit's annoying jokes hadn't made Dally yell, "SHUT THE HELL UP"!

"Hey, I wonder where Johnny is," Ponyboy said, trying to break the silence. It worked. Everyone looked around the bar, but their favourite tanned brunette was nowhere to be found. He was meant to meet them there two hours ago. Jonathon Cade was _never_ late. Even Darry got there before him.

"Johnny?" Two-Bit whimpered. He looked extremely worried, as did the others. Well, excluding Dally. He was in his own little world.

Suddenly, as if on cue, Johnny burst through the door, running to the booth to greet the other guys.

"Sorry I'm late," he puffed, collapsing into the seat neat to Dally. "I got caught up."

Dally raised his eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Aren't you cold, Johnny?" Darry asked.

"With what? Were you on a date?" Two-Bit wiggled his eyebrows, teasing him.

Johnny grinned, blushing. "I-it's nothing."

"Nothing?" Sodapop smirked. "It don't sound like nothin'."

"It's nothing! Honest!"

"Aw, our little Johnnycake got himself a broad!" Two-Bit put Johnny in a headlock and gave him a noogie.

"Quit it, Two-Bit!" Johnny swatted Two-Bit away with his hand. "That ain't funny!"

"C'mon, tell us, Johnny!" Soda grinned like an excited child.

"Johnnycake!" A soft, feminine voice called from outside.

Two-Bit glared. "Who stole our Johnnycake's nickname!"

A girl burst through the door, holding a jean jacket. "You forgot your jacket, Johnny!"

Johnny was blushing so hard, he thought he could just die of embarrassment, right then and there.

"Ch-Cherry Valance!" Ponyboy gasped.

"Well, well, well." Those were the first words that Dally had spoken since his fight with Sylvia. "Looks like our Johnnycake here is even better at handling broads than I am."

"Soc ones, too," Two-Bit added.

"Shut up, Two-Bit."

"Don't tell me what to do, Steve!"

"Oh, god." Johnny grabbed Cherry's hand. "Let's get outta here before another fight starts."

* * *

**Thank you Crystalteen for the idea (And being the only reviewer on Chapter 12)! I wanted to add the Dally/Sylvia drama to spice it up a bit, if that's okay. I hope you like it :) **

**- Loll**


	14. I'm Here Now

**I'm Here Now**

**Whenever Ponyboy has a bad dream, Sodapop is always there to comfort him. When Soda isn't there to comfort Pony, there's only one person who's willing to help him. But will Pony be willing to have this stranger comforting him?**

* * *

I took my time opening my eyes. When I looked around the empty wooden temple, I found myself sitting on a bench in a church. I breathed in sharply; I had no idea where I actually was or why I was there. I looked to the crowds sitting on the bench in front of me. So this church wasn't empty at all...

My eyebrows knitted together as I noticed that everyone was wearing a black hooded coat and holding scythes. It was almost as if they were trying to hide their faces. I stood up forcefully, almost tripping on the seat. I whipped myself around to see that now, the whole church was full of these dark grim reapers. They all stood up at the same time; almost as if they were copying my actions.

I snapped my hand over my mouth and whimpered as I tried to run out. The front door was locked, so I ran back to the back of the church. The Reapers were following me slowly and moving their heads to face me everytime I moved. I ran around a coffin that was in the middle of the stage. I looked down to see me in it - dead. I felt all the air escape out of my lungs as I screamed.

My eyes snapped open and I found myself in bed. I wasn't sure whether to be happy over the fact that the dream wasn't real, or to be scared that I had I dream of me seeing myself dead in the first place.

"Shh, shh..." I felt someone wrap their arms around my shaking body. "It's okay, honey."

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realised that it was Soda who was with me. He always seems to make me feel better just by being near me.

"It was just a bad dream, Pone. I'm here now," he assured wearily as he went back to sleep. Eventually, my eyes faded closed as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Pone. I can't stay here."

I clung to him. I wrapped my arms around his waist and refused to let go. "Why not, Soda? Why? Why do you have to go? Why do you have to leave me?"

"Oh, Pony. I'm sorry. I need to do this, Pone. You'll understand when you're older. When you experience true love."

"I don't need to experience true love!" I argued. "I know what love is. I love and and Darry. I love Mum and Dad. I love Johnny. But now Johnny's dead, Mum and Dad are gone and Darry's too busy for me. I have no one except you, Soda. And now you're leaving me for Sandy!"

Soda cupped my cheeks and looked into my eyes. "I wil never leave you, Pony. Not for Sandy. Not for anyone."

"Then why are you moving out? Why are you leaving me?"

I swear I saw him cry. I had never seen Soda this unhappy before. As he opened the front door, he looked at me one last time. "I'm sorry, Ponyboy."

That made me mad. "No! You keep saying that but we both know it's not true! You're not sorry! You don't even care!" With that, I slammed my bedroom door closed and slid down the wall, eventually collapsing onto the cold, wooden floor.

Okay, I didn't really mean what I said. Soda does care. He cares about me more than anyone. I guess I just can't live with him moving in with Sandy. I know she's not right for him, I just know it.

After a few minutes of bawling my blood-shot eyes out on my bed, I heard the wooden door creak open slowly.

"Pone," I heard a firm voice say.

I wiped my eyes quickly and sat up. "Darry," I said, just as firmly.

He sighed and walked up to me, sitting next to me on the bed. "I know you feel alone right now. I know you feel like you can't talk to me, like I don't understand. But I do. You can talk to me, Pone. I'm here. I always will be."

With that, he left the room to make dinner.

* * *

I woke up with a fright. My palms were sweaty and my teeth were clattering. I feel hot and cold all at the same time. I knew I had had a nightmare. I didn't even remember what it was about.

"Soda?" I gulped. "Soda, I just had a bad dream! Soda!" When no one replied, I remembered what happened the day before.

I sighed, laying back down on the sweaty pillow. I felt my eyes burning with salty tears as I remembered that Soda was gone.

"Pony," I heard someone call from behind my bedroom door. "Pony, did you have a nightmare?"

I winced at the word 'nightmare'. I hated being judged by Darry. He wasn't someone to comfort you after a nightmare.

That was Soda's job.

He opened the door. That was something I had hoped he wouldn't do.

I pretended to be asleep but that didn't stop Darry from sitting on the edge of my bed. "I know you're awake, Pone."

I sighed, giving up. I had no choice but to talk to him. "Yeah. I am." I sat up to look at him.

"Did you have a bad dream?"

"Yeah."

He did something really unexpected. He hugged me. I sat there, shocked. Eventually I hugged him back. It felt kinda nice.

"It was just a bad dream, Pony," he said softly. Just like Soda would. "I'm here now."

* * *

**Do you like it? I'm actually kind of proud of this one :) I hope you enjoy it!**

**-Lollie**


	15. A Day In The Life Of Sodapop Curtis

**A Day In The Life Of Sodapop Curtis**

**You think Sodapop's day is boring? Well, it usually is. But today is different!**

* * *

"Hey, Steve," I moan unenthusiastically (see, Pony? I can use big words too!) as I walk into the DX.

Steve is behind the counter reading some sort of car magazine and Two-Bit is intrigued in the small candy section in the corner of the room, goodness knows why. There's a jaffa machine there that gives you a handful of jaffas when you put a coin in but it's seems to be stuffing up lately. It would give you four or five jaffas one time and then fifty the next. One time a girl put a small papee bag under the candy shoot expecting it to fill up the bag but it let hundreds of jaffas out! They came out everywhere and fell all over the ground, it was so funny! But I had to clean it all up.

I guess Two-Bit likes to test his luck and see if the machine likes him or not.

It doesn't.

"Aw, man!" He groans, looking at the single jaffa in his hand. "I only got one!"

"Suck it up, Princess," Steve grins, sticking his tongue out. "It doesn't like you. Go home."

"Man, I don't gotta do what you always tell me, Steve." Two-Bit looks upset, but he puts another coin in the machine anyway. This how Two-Bit gambles. "I'll show you," he mutters to himself, hoping Steve won't hear him.

I join Steve behind the counter as he throws the magazine at Two-Bit. It hits his head and he glares back at Steve.

"Rack off!" He throws a packet of hubba bubba gum at Steve, who catches it with one hand.

"Dr Pepper flavoured?" Steve inspects it. "Thanks, Two-Bit! I've always wanted to try this!"

"You weren't meant to enjoy that!" Two-Bit groans, throwing a can of cola at him instead.

Steve, who's too busy chewing his Dr Pepper Hubba Bubba, got hit in the back of the head. He fell off his seat behind the counter and tumbles to the floor, unconscious.

"Ha! Bulls-eye!" You can see the ego in his smirk.

"You idiot, Two-Bit!" I drop to the floor to see if Steve is breathing. Luckily he is, but he's definitely not conscious.

"STEVEN RANDLE, CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Two-Bit yell into Steve's ear, making me fall backwards in shock and pain

I get back up and slapped him across the face. I wouldn't normally do that, but he deserves it. It hurt! "Asshole!"

"I'm sorry!" He pouts, his hand covering his left cheek. "I was just trying to help!"

I'm freaking out as well as Two-Bit. "Should I call Darry?" I ask him.

"No!" He shakes his head, wide-eyed. "We'll get in trouble!"

"You mean YOU will get into trouble," I correct.

Right after I said that, Two-Bit slapped Steve. For a moment there I thought I heard a crack!

"What. The. Hell?" I whisper-yell, so no one outside can hear us.

"I'm sorry! I freaked out!" He says. "I thought it would wake him up.

I jump up and sprint to the fridge to left of us, opening the door and pulling a cherry cola out. I pop it open and pour it all over Steve, hoping it will wake him up.

Instead, it drips off of his hair and on the the floor surrounding his head. It combines with the grease in his hair, making it look like crimson blood.

I grin when I realise that Steve is starting to flutter his eyes open. He's awake!

"Smart one, Sodapop." Two-Bit puckers his lips together in thought as he stares back at the confused Steve. "You just had to ruin his hair as well, didn't you?"


End file.
